Governing AI use
Using AI tools at work without opening a new door
Adopting AI adds systems to protect. Most UK organisations that use or consider AI have not yet put practices in place to manage the risks.
Last reviewed against NCSC (UK), Anthropic and UK Government (DSIT and Home Office). Sources
The gap
Adoption ahead of controls
Three references
Where to look
NCSC guidance
The NCSC says security should be a core requirement across the lifecycle of an AI system, and that leaders should understand the consequences if its integrity, availability or confidentiality is compromised and have a response plan [4].
The government code
A government code on AI cyber security, published on 31 January 2025, is aimed at securing AI systems and at those who develop and deploy them [10].
OWASP's list
OWASP's 2025 list names ten risks for LLM applications, including prompt injection, sensitive information disclosure, supply chain, excessive agency and unbounded consumption [9]. It works well as a review checklist.
Questions
What leaders can ask
Use those prompts with these working questions:
- Which AI tools are in use, including ones staff adopted themselves
- What data each can see and what it can send out
- Who owns each tool's risk and who reviews its logs
- What happens if the supplier has a security failure
Board-level prompts from the NCSC
The NCSC suggests asking about accountability, supply chain security, incident response and skills gaps for every AI system [4].
Keep current
Dependencies too
The NCSC asks organisations to maintain up-to-date cyber security measures on their AI systems and their dependencies [1]. Treat an AI tool like any other software: inventory it, patch it and review its access.
Next: prompt injection defence and the defence plan.
Keep reading
Read next
Are they new?
Are AI powered attacks a new threat or a faster version of old ones? What the NCSC and the UK survey say, and what it means for priorities.
Read the guide
Can it be fixed?
The NCSC says prompt injection probably cannot be fully prevented. What that means for buying AI products and for how UK teams design them.
Read the guide
Am I exposed?
A practical checklist to see whether your payment processes, inboxes, systems and AI tools are open to AI powered attacks, for UK organisations.
Read the guideHow CyPro can help
Need a hand with any of this?
Patching is one job. Keeping a vulnerable system safe until it is patched, and proving it, is several more. CyPro's consultants, testers and SOC analysts can take any of them off your plate.
Vulnerability scanning
Find every internet-facing system you run, including the forgotten ones, and see which are still on a vulnerable build.
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Hardening and segmentation
Our consultants put the controls in place that limit the damage when something is missed: firewall rules, network isolation and tighter admin access.
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24/7 security monitoring
Our SOC analysts watch your systems day and night for the signs of an attack in progress: unexpected processes, new outbound connections, logins that do not fit.
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Penetration testing
A focused test of your systems and the controls around them, so you know they hold before an attacker finds out for you.
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Incident response
If you may already be compromised, our responders contain it, preserve the evidence, find out what was touched and get you running again safely.
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Fractional CISO for the board
A senior security lead who advises the board on what to fix first, what to accept and what to tell customers, and owns the decision record.
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Know your exposure
Not sure you are protected?
Many of the risks here sit in how an organisation uses AI: what tools staff run, what they can reach and who owns the risk. AI governance work sets that out so controls match the tools in use.